The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-19
The Most Effective Fisticuff.

Julien Hawthorne u. November Cosmopolitan.
Meanwhile, am willing to concede that
one of the most admired and effective feat
ures of the art of ist-fightihg, as practiced
during the last hundred years, may be of
modern invention. The very word box"
is a confirmation of this view 1t is derived
from an old German noun signifying cheek !;
and to boz man meant to fetch him bang
on the cheek or the ear: in other words to
hit him a swinging or roundabout blow.
Now This is the instructive blow of the un-
educated fighter, the reason being that a
swinging blow, when 1t reaches its mark, is
more telling than blow of any other kind
1t is enforced by the lateral swing and
weight of the whole body; and when it ar
rives. something has to go; sometimes it is
the knuckles, sometimes it is the wrist: but
generally speaking it is the person who gets
hit. This blow, however Is open TO two
serious objections; First it is easily parried A;
and. in the second place, it exposes the
striker to detrimental retort. Accordingly
science has dismissed it Except III special
predicaments) in favor of the straight-for-
ward blow, which, though lacking the
stunning impact of the other is much more
difficult to ward off, can be delivered more
so fifty, and does not so expose the body TO
counter. Moreover as regards its infe-
rior force, that is matter OF comparatively
small consequence. A blow between the
eyes does not need to be heavy enough to
floor an OK in order to be Instructive In
deed it is surprising how effective reason
ably light knock may be, if delivered i'll the
! right way and on the right place The
trained prize-lighter may not much mind
such blow bus to the Impractical anna
teur il is full of significance and persuasion.
IL is enough and enough is as good as a
feast, not TO speak OF a funeral,
Furthermore, when you have da2ed your
adversary with the straight hit, you may
If you like go in and finish him with
round-hander. But do not advise it; we
are not all the Marquis of Queensberry, nor
is it necessary TO restrict 50 agreeable pas
time as square stand-up fight TO q paltry
ten or twelve minutes Take your time.
and enjoy yourself: you may have to wait a
long time before the opportunity recurs.
Shoulder hitting, as it is technically
termed, may, then, be regarded rs the point
of differentiation between ancient and
modern fisticuiFs; and a very important
point it is, for al the science of defense de-
ponds upon 1.-THE parry ing, the counter
ing, the lodging and the nnunerable
nimble wiles and devices whereby the
fighter fois his adversary's efforts and
enhances his own. II seems 10 the UNI
initiated a very easy thing 10 hit man
when you are angry; and nothing but
experience viii show how nearly impossible
ii is for the uninitlated person in question,
no matter how angry he may be, TO hit the
man, il the man understands boxing. But,
indeed, the experiment is not likely 10 be
protracted one. Some hitting VII, doubt
less take place, as between the man Of sci
ence and the man Of impulse; but il will
probably be very One-sided, and 80, als1,
viii DO the couutenarce Of tile man Of inn
pulse the next morning.